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Hi there @LoboRican "Q" - if you have a discord, hop into the new DC Guild discord that was just set up this week. Got quite a few people in there with some gatherings in the future! https://discord.gg/KS3Agnu

As the school season comes to a close, millions of kids across the United States prepare for a summer of relaxation following their graduation. Those children look forward to playing with their friends outside, having time to brush up on their Fortnite skills, and going off to various camps and retreats. Graduation season stands out as a wonderful time in their lives. However, as one group of kids move up in grade or don caps and gowns, another group prepares for a very different kind of graduation that ends with the ringing of a bell.
Kids who enter Children's Miracle Network Hospitals for cancer treatment face a long and difficult battle toward the day they can leave and live their lives cancer-free. When the doctors caring for these children believe they have sufficiently recovered, they are led to a bell to ring in the end of their difficult journey and the beginning of a cancer-less life. The bell ringing tradition dates back to 1996 when it was begun by United States Navy Rear Admiral Irve Le Moyne. Le Moyne installed a brass bell in the center where he was receiving treatment for the cancer that eventually overtook him a year later. The bells that began appearing in cancer wards after his passing included an inscription with a short poem by the late Le Moyne:
Ringing Out
Ring this bell
Three times well
It’s toll to clearly say,
My treatment’s done
This course is run
And I am on my way!
These moments, kids ringing bells to announce their recovery, straddle the line between being heartwarming and heart-wrenching. No child should have to go through cancer treatment. However, we should celebrate when kids recover from battles with serious illnesses. Here are just a few of the kids graduating from their treatments and partaking in the ringing of the bell with all of the joy in their hearts on display.
Benjamin Burke
Benjamin was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after his seventh birthday. While battling his cancer, he spent time raising money to help others like himself. He and his family started a “lemonaid” stand and have raised over $100,000 to help other kids struggling to recover from cancer at the Ann & Rover H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. After three and a half years of treatment, Benjamin finally got to ring the bell at the end of April. He’s continuing to fight for other kids by becoming a national ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Grace Griffin
St. Louis Children’s Hospital helped Grace through her treatment for a cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. It’s one of the most common forms of cancer in children, but that didn’t make Grace’s fight against it any easier. Traci Griffin, Grace’s mom, talked about her daughter’s journey saying, “The treatments for Grace are sometimes very brutal, sometimes very painful. She’s often not feeling well, like most kids on chemo, but she’s been extremely, extremely strong and brave throughout this whole process.” Despite the hardships, Grace fought hard and even continued attending school. Her chances of remaining cancer free are, in the words of her doctor, “very, very high.”
Dylan Pogodzinski
At 4 years old, Dylan was diagnosed with an extremely rare type of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma. It’s one of the scariest kinds of cancer out there, with tumors capable of doubling in size every 48 hours. Luckily, the Pogodzinski family were able to take Dylan to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The doctors were able to make a correct diagnosis and immediately start Dylan on an intensive regimen of chemotherapy for the next five months. While he still receives monthly checkups, he was officially declared cancer-free in February and is now back attending kindergarten, happy and healthy.
Peyton Richardson
After Texas Children’s Hospital diagnosed Peyton with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2015, she began a long and difficult journey. It took her over two years of treatment for Peyton to get her chance to ring the bell. “You all were my best friends throughout all of this. I just love you all so much and I’m so thankful for you guys,” she said before ringing the bell while onlookers gathered to support her had tears in their eyes. “I think it will take a little bit to sink in that I’m done, I’m finished. I’m glad, I’m happy I’m done.”
To help more kids reach their graduations from treatment and ring their bells, please sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals across the US and Canada!

As the school season comes to a close, millions of kids across the United States prepare for a summer of relaxation following their graduation. Those children look forward to playing with their friends outside, having time to brush up on their Fortnite skills, and going off to various camps and retreats. Graduation season stands out as a wonderful time in their lives. However, as one group of kids move up in grade or don caps and gowns, another group prepares for a very different kind of graduation that ends with the ringing of a bell.
Kids who enter Children's Miracle Network Hospitals for cancer treatment face a long and difficult battle toward the day they can leave and live their lives cancer-free. When the doctors caring for these children believe they have sufficiently recovered, they are led to a bell to ring in the end of their difficult journey and the beginning of a cancer-less life. The bell ringing tradition dates back to 1996 when it was begun by United States Navy Rear Admiral Irve Le Moyne. Le Moyne installed a brass bell in the center where he was receiving treatment for the cancer that eventually overtook him a year later. The bells that began appearing in cancer wards after his passing included an inscription with a short poem by the late Le Moyne:
Ringing Out
Ring this bell
Three times well
It’s toll to clearly say,
My treatment’s done
This course is run
And I am on my way!
These moments, kids ringing bells to announce their recovery, straddle the line between being heartwarming and heart-wrenching. No child should have to go through cancer treatment. However, we should celebrate when kids recover from battles with serious illnesses. Here are just a few of the kids graduating from their treatments and partaking in the ringing of the bell with all of the joy in their hearts on display.
Benjamin Burke
Benjamin was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after his seventh birthday. While battling his cancer, he spent time raising money to help others like himself. He and his family started a “lemonaid” stand and have raised over $100,000 to help other kids struggling to recover from cancer at the Ann & Rover H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. After three and a half years of treatment, Benjamin finally got to ring the bell at the end of April. He’s continuing to fight for other kids by becoming a national ambassador for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
Grace Griffin
St. Louis Children’s Hospital helped Grace through her treatment for a cancer called rhabdomyosarcoma. It’s one of the most common forms of cancer in children, but that didn’t make Grace’s fight against it any easier. Traci Griffin, Grace’s mom, talked about her daughter’s journey saying, “The treatments for Grace are sometimes very brutal, sometimes very painful. She’s often not feeling well, like most kids on chemo, but she’s been extremely, extremely strong and brave throughout this whole process.” Despite the hardships, Grace fought hard and even continued attending school. Her chances of remaining cancer free are, in the words of her doctor, “very, very high.”
Dylan Pogodzinski
At 4 years old, Dylan was diagnosed with an extremely rare type of cancer called Burkitt’s lymphoma. It’s one of the scariest kinds of cancer out there, with tumors capable of doubling in size every 48 hours. Luckily, the Pogodzinski family were able to take Dylan to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. The doctors were able to make a correct diagnosis and immediately start Dylan on an intensive regimen of chemotherapy for the next five months. While he still receives monthly checkups, he was officially declared cancer-free in February and is now back attending kindergarten, happy and healthy.
Peyton Richardson
After Texas Children’s Hospital diagnosed Peyton with acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2015, she began a long and difficult journey. It took her over two years of treatment for Peyton to get her chance to ring the bell. “You all were my best friends throughout all of this. I just love you all so much and I’m so thankful for you guys,” she said before ringing the bell while onlookers gathered to support her had tears in their eyes. “I think it will take a little bit to sink in that I’m done, I’m finished. I’m glad, I’m happy I’m done.”
To help more kids reach their graduations from treatment and ring their bells, please sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals across the US and Canada!
View full article

Following the scuffle with the furnishings of the Halfway Inn, Arakiel, Sean, and Pribi descend into the basement of the unnerving inn. What they find there puts the three of them into an unusual and uncomfortable position with the fate of innocents in their hands.
We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory.
"Aftermath"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show!
New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
View full article

Following the scuffle with the furnishings of the Halfway Inn, Arakiel, Sean, and Pribi descend into the basement of the unnerving inn. What they find there puts the three of them into an unusual and uncomfortable position with the fate of innocents in their hands.
We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory.
"Aftermath"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show!
New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Detective Pikachu had its opening weekend and was able to pull its weight against heavy hitter Avengers: Endgame. In retrospect, that shouldn't be totally surprising. The Pokémon brand certainly stands out as one of the biggest contributors to the box office achievement of Detective Pikachu. That logo alone almost guarantees that a product will grab some attention. Add the sly but charming leading man Ryan Reynolds, fresh off of his turn as the wise-cracking Deadpool, into the mix and an older audience will come to see it out of curiosity. The family-friendly rating ensures that people of all ages will frequent their local theater to take in the unique attraction of a live-action Pokémon film. However, the true secret to Detective Pikachu's success isn't the fact that it branched off of a ridiculously popular franchise. No, the secret is the respect paid to the multi-generations of fans who grew up with Pokémon by their side. This elevates the film to that rare next level; Detective Pikachu stands as a truly decent video game movie.
Don’t worry, this review is spoiler-free.
One of the best moments in Detective Pikachu occurs within the first few minutes. The camera soars above the landscape of an alternate universe, unassuming, like any other movie. However, a key detail stands out. The birds flying alongside the camera are Pidgeots. The camera doesn’t highlight the unassuming winged Pokémon, but instead, the fictitious creatures blend in with the scenery. They look like they belong there, as real as any sparrow or falcon. That sense of grounded belonging hit me hard. I'm definitely a Pokémon nerd, and I'm totally not ashamed to say that seeing this made me tear up, just a little.
Detective Pikachu originated as a 3DS title of the same name that released in Japan in 2016. The handheld game released worldwide in 2018, but did little to impress me. The first trailer for Detective Pikachu failed to grip me in a similar manner. The premise of a crime-solving, talking Pikachu seemed like an odd choice for such a big budget film. Then there were the character designs. Oh wow, the character designs.
Being a live-action affair, Detective Pikachu’s aesthetic choice for the Pokémon that live alongside the human population was to ground them in reality as much as possible. The first trailer showing off these designs didn’t hit me right. Jigglypuff's characteristic innocent blue eyes melted away into horrifically realistic, veiny orbs. Mr. Mime... Mr. Mimed. It all seemed seconds away from a fatal misstep, one that would lead these companion creatures I've known and loved for so long down a dark and creepy path.
However, I am happy to report that director Rob Letterman was able keep the production on the tightrope. Detective Pikachu never slips from the delicate balance that seemed impossible when I first saw the trailer. Much of that is due to the vital piece of the puzzle prevailing in every scene, the Pokémon themselves. Charmander has scales? Wild! While some Pokémon were certainly disturbing, the steady drip of new designs and iconic Pokémon moments kept me curious and engaged. As a lifelong Pokemon fan, I wanted, nay needed more.
Almost the entirety of Detective Pikachu takes place in and around Ryme City. The urban locale brings all kinds of people and Pokémon into close proximity, allowing it to become a character in its own right. The first taste of the city gives the audience an onslaught of Easter Eggs, with Pokémon from across all generations of the games filling in almost every nook and cranny. As a dedicated Pokémon fan, it occurred to me that this might be what heaven looks like. Even if someone hadn’t ever played a Pokémon game before, the incredible sights of Ryme City should prove to be delightful. The special effects provide a seamless visual experience with a steady drip-feed of wonder. It took a lot of love and a substantial understanding of Pokémon’s appeal to create a world this full of marvels.
The plot of Detective Pikachu revolves around Tim Goodman, a young man who encounters a talking Pikachu shortly after the disappearance of his father, Harry. Justice Smith does an admirable job as Goodman, managing to hold his own playing alongside Ryan Reynolds as the titular detective. The two go through a bonding arc over the course of their adventures together that's surprisingly heartwarming. However, the plot becomes secondary to the magical world of the film.
Detective Pikachu stands as a great achievement. It manages to be both a vehicle for nostalgia, effectively conveying the magic that made Pokémon great in the first place while introducing a whole new generation to the franchise. The filmmakers crafted a world where the fluffiness of childhood continues, but holds just enough darkness around the edges to feel real. This is a place where whimsical creatures can be both adorable distractions and participants in a gritty criminal underworld. It’s a world with more similarities to our own that operates with a freedom that many will find a refreshing change of pace from the typical sanded polish of Nintendo’s titles. As strange as it might sound for a film about a talking yellow mouse voiced by Ryan Reynolds, Pokémon has become a bit more real thanks to Detective Pikachu.
Conclusion:
Ryme City and its environs become an opportunity to see the Pokémon you’ve always imagined coming to life. It’s a magical opportunity that taps into what made the games so alluring as a kid. Pokémon gripped me in part because it seemed like an ideal world. It was a place where the worst thing that could happen would be a trip to the local Pokémon Center or a missed opportunity to catch that one rare Pokémon. Plus, who doesn’t dream of going on an adventure with a magical best friend? Rob Letterman as well as seemingly everyone working on Detective Pikachu understood this, using the live-action of the film to bridge the gap between that dream and reality. It’s no exaggeration to say that Detective Pikachu helped to heal my cynical Millennial soul, if only just a little. If that isn't an endorsement, then I don't know what else could be.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games

Detective Pikachu had its opening weekend and was able to pull its weight against heavy hitter Avengers Endgame. Not totally surprising. This movie has quite a few things going for it that contributed to that success. Pokémon, duh, anything with that logo is gonna grab some attention. Sly but charming lead man Ryan Reynolds, that family-friendly rating etc. etc. But what makes this movie successful isn't just the fact that it's branched off of a ridiculously popular franchise, but the respect paid to the multi-generations of fans. This brings it to that rare next level and makes it a truly decent video game movie.
One of the best moments in the movie for me (don't worry, this review will be spoiler-free) lies within the first few minutes. The camera soared above this alternate universe, unassuming, like any other movie. However, a key detail stood out. The birds that flew alongside the camera were Pidgeots, unassuming Pokemon themselves, but they blended in so well they become a natural part of the scenery. I'm definitely a Pokémon nerd, and I'm totally not ashamed to say that seeing this made me tear up, just a little.
As a lifelong Pokemon fan, I wanted, nay needed more.
Charmander with scales? Whaaaa?
But let's back up a little first. When the first trailer came out for this movie it didn't exactly grip me. Detective Pikachu, the game, wasn't one that I had been particularly invested in. It seemed like an odd choice for such a big budget film. And then there were the character designs. Oh wow, the character designs.
Jigglypuff's characteristic innocent blue eyes melted away into horrifically realistic veiny orbs. Mr. Mime... Mr. Mimed. It all seemed seconds away from a fatal misstep, one that would lead these companion creatures I've known and loved for so long down a dark and creepy path.
But that vital piece of the puzzle prevailed, the Pokémon piece. It kept me curious and ensured that I would indeed see this movie.
It's Pikachu, with Ryan Reynolds voice!
When we enter the main location for the movie, Ryme City, we the audience receive an onslaught of Easter Eggs. There are Pokémon from all generations EVERYWHERE. I think this is what heaven looks like.
In all seriousness though, it is an amazing sight to see. The wonder is relentless, it's seamless. Pokémon are as much a part of the city as the people who inhabit it. It took a lot of love to create a world this full and well, possible.
The plot becomes secondary to the magical world they were able to create. That same magic is what made me fall in love with Pokemon in the first place. Pokémon gripped in part me because it seemed like an ideal world. Going on an adventure with a magical best friend? Heck yea! So bridging that gap to reality helps heal my cynical Millenial soul just a little.
Detective Pikachu has shown the audience that the franchise has grown up with them. Instead of being perpetually stuck at 10, fans were finally allowed to see Pokémon in their world. A gritty world with crime, underground fighting, street drugs. They are allowed to exist in a world that has more similarities to our own than the usual polish that we get from Nintendo. Because of that, Pokémon become just a little more real.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games
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Dragon Age has been one of the biggest western RPG franchises to emerge in recent years. Since its debut in Dragon Age: Origins, which we previously covered on this show, the series has continued to grow under BioWare's direction. While there are now three games in the series, Dragon Age II has widely been considered the odd duck of the trilogy. With a rushed production resulting in reused environments, many wrote it off at the time as lazy or too repetitive.
However, could Dragon Age II actually be one of the best games of all-time?
To help answer this question, we turn to Dragon Age expert and all around swell writer/streamer/podcaster Ginny Woo! You should make sure you follow her over on Twitter: @GinnyWoes
Each week we will be tackling a video game, old or new, that at least one of us believes deserves to stand as one of the greatest games of all time. We'll dive into its history, development, and gameplay, while trying to argue for or against the game of the week. Sometimes we will be in harmonious agreement, other times we might be fighting a bitter battle to the very end. However each episode shakes out, we hope that everyone who listens will find the show entertaining and informative.
Outro music: Demon's Souls 'Epitaph for Boletaria' by RoeTaKa (https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03043)
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available, as well!
If you want to have your opinion heard on air, share your opinion in the comments, follow the show on Twitter, and participate in the weekly polls: @BestGamesPeriod
New episodes of The Best Games Period will be released every Monday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
View full article

Dragon Age has been one of the biggest western RPG franchises to emerge in recent years. Since its debut in Dragon Age: Origins, which we previously covered on this show, the series has continued to grow under BioWare's direction. While there are now three games in the series, Dragon Age II has widely been considered the odd duck of the trilogy. With a rushed production resulting in reused environments, many wrote it off at the time as lazy or too repetitive.
However, could Dragon Age II actually be one of the best games of all-time?
To help answer this question, we turn to Dragon Age expert and all around swell writer/streamer/podcaster Ginny Woo! You should make sure you follow her over on Twitter: @GinnyWoes
Each week we will be tackling a video game, old or new, that at least one of us believes deserves to stand as one of the greatest games of all time. We'll dive into its history, development, and gameplay, while trying to argue for or against the game of the week. Sometimes we will be in harmonious agreement, other times we might be fighting a bitter battle to the very end. However each episode shakes out, we hope that everyone who listens will find the show entertaining and informative.
Outro music: Demon's Souls 'Epitaph for Boletaria' by RoeTaKa (https://ocremix.org/remix/OCR03043)
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. A YouTube version is available, as well!
If you want to have your opinion heard on air, share your opinion in the comments, follow the show on Twitter, and participate in the weekly polls: @BestGamesPeriod
New episodes of The Best Games Period will be released every Monday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Hey @Novus'Olm could I get a discord invite as well? Looks like it's expired. I've been streaming for Extra Life for 4 years now and am interested in finding out some more about how to get involved with our local guild. Looks like most of the chatter has moved to Discord!
Look forward to chatting with you all,
Maximilian Witte

Hi All,
I’m Sam. I recently started working at Seattle Children’s and learned about Extra Life when I inquired about the guilds in their foundation. I’ve streamed a couple times, but nothing too serious. It would be fun to learn more about ways to contribute to the community with my video game hobbies

Back in March, we were incredibly excited to announce that Humble Bundle had chosen to work with Extra Life to hold us up as their featured charity for the entire month. From March 1st - April 3rd, Extra Lifers and gamers in general frequented Humble Bundle's site to find crazy deals on video games, tabletop RPGs, and literature. Each of the default purchases made during that time helped to raise money for Extra Life, helping the 10 million families who pass through the doors of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals each year. Finally, the results are in and we know how much Humble Bundle enabled all of you to help raise over the course of March,
The March partnership between Extra Life and Humble Bundle brought in a hair under $600,000. That is amazing! We even put together a little video from Benjamin Burke, one of the kids who has been helped by Extra Life while battling cancer. Donations made it possible for Benjamin to receive the best care possible, even bringing in school services to make sure he didn't fall behind on his school work. Benjamin is far from the only child helped by the funds raised by Extra Life participants and our corporate partnerships, and almost $600,000 will do an awful lot to help kids across the United States and Canada to receive the best hospital care available.
Of course, just because March is done doesn't mean that you can't help raise more money through Humble Bundle purchases! If you use Extra Life's affiliate link when you head to the Humble Bundle website, 5% of everything you buy will go toward Extra Life's mission of healing kids. It's really easy. To get started, just copy and paste the following link into your browser and buy that game or bundle that you've been eyeing for a while: https://www.humblebundle.com/?partner=144206
Humble Bundle has been a beacon of hope in an industry that can often seem to be drowning in cynicism. Through its fundraising efforts and split revenue/donation model, Humble Bundle has raised over $146,000,000 for all kinds of great causes. That money has gone to help save endangered animals, revitalized failing habitats, build homes, save lives in disasters, and, of course, help kids from all walks of life get the care they need to receive all of the care they need to live healthy and happy lives. You can learn more about their full operations just by looking over all of Humble Bundle's previous charity partners. We at Extra Life are honored to be able to count ourselves among those charities.
Thank you so much, Humble Bundle! Let's do this again real soon.
Please join Extra Life in making a difference for the kids and families who seek help at your local children’s hospital.
View full article

Back in March, we were incredibly excited to announce that Humble Bundle had chosen to work with Extra Life to hold us up as their featured charity for the entire month. From March 1st - April 3rd, Extra Lifers and gamers in general frequented Humble Bundle's site to find crazy deals on video games, tabletop RPGs, and literature. Each of the default purchases made during that time helped to raise money for Extra Life, helping the 10 million families who pass through the doors of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals each year. Finally, the results are in and we know how much Humble Bundle enabled all of you to help raise over the course of March,
The March partnership between Extra Life and Humble Bundle brought in a hair under $600,000. That is amazing! We even put together a little video from Benjamin Burke, one of the kids who has been helped by Extra Life while battling cancer. Donations made it possible for Benjamin to receive the best care possible, even bringing in school services to make sure he didn't fall behind on his school work. Benjamin is far from the only child helped by the funds raised by Extra Life participants and our corporate partnerships, and almost $600,000 will do an awful lot to help kids across the United States and Canada to receive the best hospital care available.
Of course, just because March is done doesn't mean that you can't help raise more money through Humble Bundle purchases! If you use Extra Life's affiliate link when you head to the Humble Bundle website, 5% of everything you buy will go toward Extra Life's mission of healing kids. It's really easy. To get started, just copy and paste the following link into your browser and buy that game or bundle that you've been eyeing for a while: https://www.humblebundle.com/?partner=144206
Humble Bundle has been a beacon of hope in an industry that can often seem to be drowning in cynicism. Through its fundraising efforts and split revenue/donation model, Humble Bundle has raised over $146,000,000 for all kinds of great causes. That money has gone to help save endangered animals, revitalized failing habitats, build homes, save lives in disasters, and, of course, help kids from all walks of life get the care they need to receive all of the care they need to live healthy and happy lives. You can learn more about their full operations just by looking over all of Humble Bundle's previous charity partners. We at Extra Life are honored to be able to count ourselves among those charities.
Thank you so much, Humble Bundle! Let's do this again real soon.
Please join Extra Life in making a difference for the kids and families who seek help at your local children’s hospital.

After an unsettling encounter with the world-traveler Grimoire, the party ventures to the Halfway Inn. Hopefully its bed will provide the perfect place to get some much needed rest after a long day on the road.
We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory.
"Werq"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show!
New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
View full article

After an unsettling encounter with the world-traveler Grimoire, the party ventures to the Halfway Inn. Hopefully its bed will provide the perfect place to get some much needed rest after a long day on the road.
We Wanted Adventurers is a liveplay Dungeons & Dragons podcast that follows a motley trio of unlikely heroes as they bumble into adventures both big and small across the fantastical continent of Nevarrone. For the uninitiated, a liveplay podcast features an unscripted recording of a traditional tabletop roleplaying game, with all of the goofs and drama that comes with the territory.
"Werq"
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
You can download or listen to the podcast over on Soundcloud, our hosting site, and iTunes. You can follow the show on Twitter for updates. Let us know what you think of the show!
New episodes of We Wanted Adventurers will be released every Wednesday
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

The quirky and lovable tale about a really big rock barrels onto Nintendo Switch today, opening up a whole new audience to the Rock of Ages franchise. The digital release mixes an incredibly inaccurate retelling of history with the odd surrealism of Katamari Damancy to create a gaming experience that really can't be found in other games.
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder follows a conflict between titans of the art world doing surreal battle across a wide variety of impossible spaces. Pitting the player against the likes of Vincent van Gogh, The Thinker, and the Great Sphinx. The story introduces a wide variety of silly characters taken from world mythologies and history.
Ace Team developed the game in Unreal Engine 4, an underlying game engine that allowed the team to improve the game's physics and make even more destructible environments. In a game about crushing things with a big rock, physics might be the absolute most important aspect of the technology under the hood.
Of course, what silly time is complete without friends? Players can compete against one another across several 4-player multiplayer modes. Customizable boulders and banners help players stand out on the battlefield and provide a signature flair for their victories. Of course, these modes, as well as the core single-player campaign, have been furnished with a greater number of units and more avenues for strategic boulder maneuvering than the first Rock of Ages. This gives players more tools and options than ever before (to crush their foes with a giant boulder).
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder has released on the Nintendo Switch's eShop and more than stands on its own merits. However, if you need extra motivation and own The Binding of Isaac, buying the game within the next two weeks (ending on May 28) will net you DLC inspired by the excellent roguelike dungeon crawler. That DLC includes a boulder designed in honor of the titular Isaac, three in-game avatars based on Isaac, Azazel, and Blue Baby, and three The Binding of Isaac banners to fly over the battlefield.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
View full article

The quirky and lovable tale about a really big rock barrels onto Nintendo Switch today, opening up a whole new audience to the Rock of Ages franchise. The digital release mixes an incredibly inaccurate retelling of history with the odd surrealism of Katamari Damancy to create a gaming experience that really can't be found in other games.
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder follows a conflict between titans of the art world doing surreal battle across a wide variety of impossible spaces. Pitting the player against the likes of Vincent van Gogh, The Thinker, and the Great Sphinx. The story introduces a wide variety of silly characters taken from world mythologies and history.
Ace Team developed the game in Unreal Engine 4, an underlying game engine that allowed the team to improve the game's physics and make even more destructible environments. In a game about crushing things with a big rock, physics might be the absolute most important aspect of the technology under the hood.
Of course, what silly time is complete without friends? Players can compete against one another across several 4-player multiplayer modes. Customizable boulders and banners help players stand out on the battlefield and provide a signature flair for their victories. Of course, these modes, as well as the core single-player campaign, have been furnished with a greater number of units and more avenues for strategic boulder maneuvering than the first Rock of Ages. This gives players more tools and options than ever before (to crush their foes with a giant boulder).
Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder has released on the Nintendo Switch's eShop and more than stands on its own merits. However, if you need extra motivation and own The Binding of Isaac, buying the game within the next two weeks (ending on May 28) will net you DLC inspired by the excellent roguelike dungeon crawler. That DLC includes a boulder designed in honor of the titular Isaac, three in-game avatars based on Isaac, Azazel, and Blue Baby, and three The Binding of Isaac banners to fly over the battlefield.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Indie developer Tower Five has revealed its upcoming action strategy game, Lornsword Winter Chronicles. The game comes courtesy of Renaud Charpentier, Mattijs van Delden, Nicolas Frath, and Horacio Cassinelli. The team previously worked together on strategy titles for Creative Assembly, but decided to strike out on their own to develop their upcoming early access title that aims to meld action and storytelling in a way many might not have experienced before.
The story-driven action of Lornsword follows the exploits of the general of the Lorn Empire. As the world nears a disastrous precipice, players take on the role of a leader to a struggling group of people and guide them to victory and survival in a world riven by war and magic. What players decide to do on the battlefield will come back to help or haunt them later with a narrative that emphasizes moment-to-moment decision making.
Co-op stands out as one of Lornsword's unique features. Players can drop in and out of the game's cooperative mode mid-game. This opens up a great number of tactical possibilities for those who can snag a friend to help them in their struggle against enemy factions.
“We’re very excited about bringing Lornsword Winter Chronicle to Early Access at the end of May,” said Renaud Charpentier, game director at Tower Five. “Action strategy games have been in our blood for many years, so we’re excited to deliver our own take on it that encapsulates that collective experience and expertise.”
What Tower Five has built so far should be immediately recognizable to fans of the RTS genre. The meat and potatoes of gameplay revolves around building up a base, securing resources, making units, and then commanding those units with (hopefully brilliant) tactical ability. However, the developers are attempting to take the game away from its native homeland, the PC, and bring it to consoles. Typically, this has been something of a death sentence for RTS games, but Tower Five will be using the Lornsword's time in Early Access to fine tune it for controller play. Of course, the Early Access will also be a time to take player feedback while the devs create the final two chapters of the game that will conclude the Winter Chronicle.
Lornsword Winter Chronicle releases on May 30 for PC via Steam Early Access. That release will include the prologue and the first chapter, which will be followed by two additional chapters when the game launches before the end of 2019.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!
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Indie developer Tower Five has revealed its upcoming action strategy game, Lornsword Winter Chronicles. The game comes courtesy of Renaud Charpentier, Mattijs van Delden, Nicolas Frath, and Horacio Cassinelli. The team previously worked together on strategy titles for Creative Assembly, but decided to strike out on their own to develop their upcoming early access title that aims to meld action and storytelling in a way many might not have experienced before.
The story-driven action of Lornsword follows the exploits of the general of the Lorn Empire. As the world nears a disastrous precipice, players take on the role of a leader to a struggling group of people and guide them to victory and survival in a world riven by war and magic. What players decide to do on the battlefield will come back to help or haunt them later with a narrative that emphasizes moment-to-moment decision making.
Co-op stands out as one of Lornsword's unique features. Players can drop in and out of the game's cooperative mode mid-game. This opens up a great number of tactical possibilities for those who can snag a friend to help them in their struggle against enemy factions.
“We’re very excited about bringing Lornsword Winter Chronicle to Early Access at the end of May,” said Renaud Charpentier, game director at Tower Five. “Action strategy games have been in our blood for many years, so we’re excited to deliver our own take on it that encapsulates that collective experience and expertise.”
What Tower Five has built so far should be immediately recognizable to fans of the RTS genre. The meat and potatoes of gameplay revolves around building up a base, securing resources, making units, and then commanding those units with (hopefully brilliant) tactical ability. However, the developers are attempting to take the game away from its native homeland, the PC, and bring it to consoles. Typically, this has been something of a death sentence for RTS games, but Tower Five will be using the Lornsword's time in Early Access to fine tune it for controller play. Of course, the Early Access will also be a time to take player feedback while the devs create the final two chapters of the game that will conclude the Winter Chronicle.
Lornsword Winter Chronicle releases on May 30 for PC via Steam Early Access. That release will include the prologue and the first chapter, which will be followed by two additional chapters when the game launches before the end of 2019.
Don't forget to sign up for Extra Life to help sick and injured kids in hospitals around the US and Canada by playing games!

Hey everyone,
My business partner and I have been coordinating an event called Brews & Board Games where we bring local game developers together to play their games with the community. We hold the event at a different brewery or distillery every third Thursday of the month. We recently joined Extra Life and want to contribute to the cause.
Our next event is on Thursday, May 16th from 6 PM to 10 PM at Barley John's Brew Pub. We will be holding a charity prize drawing to raise money for the cause. If you are interested or know of people interested in playing board games, come check us out!
Also, I apologize if this is not the space to post this notice. Like I said, we are fairly new to Extra Life and are still figuring out the ropes.
Thanks!
Zach

Situated in the heart of Honolulu, the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children treats the children of Hawai’i. Despite its relative isolation, the staff and facility are able to provide excellent care to the kids who come to them for help. Since Kapi’olani is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Extra Lifers in the area have supported the hospital for years now, giving the hospital access to additional resources they can use to help kiddos with a wide variety of medical issues big and small.
Julie Kobayashi was an energetic and rambunctious child. At just 11 years old, she knew she loved video games, food, sleep, and playing clarinet in band. Julie had been pushing herself to practice for an upcoming school performance and began feeling like she was coming down with a case of stomach flu. However, something about her symptoms didn’t seem right to her parents. They took her to see her doctor who ordered some routine blood tests, but as she walked down the hall of the doctor’s office she began seeing white spots and her vision went blurry. From there, Julie was rushed to Kapi’olani so doctors could figure out what was happening to her.
Once admitted to Kapi’olani, Julie’s story took on an even scarier tenor. Doctors discovered that her heart was enlarged, diagnosing her with dilated cardiomyopathy just a few weeks short of her 12th birthday. That diagnoses meant that her heart wasn’t pumping blood through her body correctly, moving blood at a more than 90% reduced rate. After admitting her to Kapi’olani’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to stabilize her, the talented hospital staff and doctors helped both Julie and her family to understand the situation: She would need a heart transplant.
Being isolated from the mainland, Kapi’olani doesn’t have access to the donor organs that hospitals across the continental United States do. Julie would need to be transported to the West Coast for the operation. Thankfully, Kapi’olani is able to field a communicative team of nurses and specialists to transport children to mainland facilities. “The transport team was excellent. They called us before they left. They called us when they landed. They called us when they handed her off in Seattle,” said Julie’s mom, Lori Kobayashi, “They really, really tried to make it less painful for us to let her go.”
Julie got her heart thanks to the quick work of Kapi’olani’s medical staff and the surgeons at the pediatric transplant center in Seattle. That was years ago, and Julie is now making the most of her heart as a healthy 18-year-old senior in high school. She still plays video games and practices clarinet in her school’s band, but she has developed a love of lion dancing, drawing, and anime. Julie has also been accepted at the University of Hawai’i and received the UH Heart of a Lion Scholarship.
On top of her academics and figuring out college admissions, Julie also brought her enthusiasm to bear for the Kapi’olani hospital. Julie served as the face of Kapi’olani as their miracle child from 2016-2017. She also participates in Extra Life, giving back to the hospital that helped her all those years ago. If you’d like to support her efforts, you can find her fundraising page here.
However, Julie doesn’t fight alone for the kids of Kapi’olani. Hundreds of people work to raise money for Kapi’olani every year. Among them, Extra Life Ambassador Sevadus works tirelessly to help the children who come through Kapi’olani’s doors every day. Sevadus streams as part of the Mindcrack Team to raise money for Kapi'olani. The amount of good going on in Hawai’i for its hospitals is simply breath-taking.
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Please join Extra Life in making a difference for the kids and families who seek help at your local children’s hospital.

Situated in the heart of Honolulu, the Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children treats the children of Hawai’i. Despite its relative isolation, the staff and facility are able to provide excellent care to the kids who come to them for help. Since Kapi’olani is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, Extra Lifers in the area have supported the hospital for years now, giving the hospital access to additional resources they can use to help kiddos with a wide variety of medical issues big and small.
Julie Kobayashi was an energetic and rambunctious child. At just 11 years old, she knew she loved video games, food, sleep, and playing clarinet in band. Julie had been pushing herself to practice for an upcoming school performance and began feeling like she was coming down with a case of stomach flu. However, something about her symptoms didn’t seem right to her parents. They took her to see her doctor who ordered some routine blood tests, but as she walked down the hall of the doctor’s office she began seeing white spots and her vision went blurry. From there, Julie was rushed to Kapi’olani so doctors could figure out what was happening to her.
Once admitted to Kapi’olani, Julie’s story took on an even scarier tenor. Doctors discovered that her heart was enlarged, diagnosing her with dilated cardiomyopathy just a few weeks short of her 12th birthday. That diagnoses meant that her heart wasn’t pumping blood through her body correctly, moving blood at a more than 90% reduced rate. After admitting her to Kapi’olani’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit to stabilize her, the talented hospital staff and doctors helped both Julie and her family to understand the situation: She would need a heart transplant.
Being isolated from the mainland, Kapi’olani doesn’t have access to the donor organs that hospitals across the continental United States do. Julie would need to be transported to the West Coast for the operation. Thankfully, Kapi’olani is able to field a communicative team of nurses and specialists to transport children to mainland facilities. “The transport team was excellent. They called us before they left. They called us when they landed. They called us when they handed her off in Seattle,” said Julie’s mom, Lori Kobayashi, “They really, really tried to make it less painful for us to let her go.”
Julie got her heart thanks to the quick work of Kapi’olani’s medical staff and the surgeons at the pediatric transplant center in Seattle. That was years ago, and Julie is now making the most of her heart as a healthy 18-year-old senior in high school. She still plays video games and practices clarinet in her school’s band, but she has developed a love of lion dancing, drawing, and anime. Julie has also been accepted at the University of Hawai’i and received the UH Heart of a Lion Scholarship.
On top of her academics and figuring out college admissions, Julie also brought her enthusiasm to bear for the Kapi’olani hospital. Julie served as the face of Kapi’olani as their miracle child from 2016-2017. She also participates in Extra Life, giving back to the hospital that helped her all those years ago. If you’d like to support her efforts, you can find her fundraising page here.
However, Julie doesn’t fight alone for the kids of Kapi’olani. Hundreds of people work to raise money for Kapi’olani every year. Among them, Extra Life Ambassador Sevadus works tirelessly to help the children who come through Kapi’olani’s doors every day. Sevadus streams as part of the Mindcrack Team to raise money for Kapi'olani. The amount of good going on in Hawai’i for its hospitals is simply breath-taking.
---
Please join Extra Life in making a difference for the kids and families who seek help at your local children’s hospital.
View full article